Taylor Swift Says Canceling Vienna Shows Was ‘Devastating’

Photo: Kevin Mazur/Getty Images for TAS Rights Management

Upon wrapping up the European leg of the Eras Tour, Taylor Swift addressed the planned terrorist attack on her concerts in Vienna. Earlier this month, Swift was forced to cancel three shows in the city after Austrian police arrested two men in connection with a planned attack on major events in Vienna, including Swift’s concerts. Prior to now, Swift had not spoken about the threat.

“Walking onstage in London was a roller coaster of emotions,” Swift wrote in an Instagram post commemorating the last of her European shows. “Having our Vienna shows canceled was devastating. The reason for the cancellations filled me with a new sense of fear, and a tremendous amount of guilt because so many people had planned on coming to those shows. But I was also so grateful to the authorities because thanks to them, we were grieving concerts and not lives.”

Swift explained that ahead of her stint in London, she was focused on making sure that the shows were going to be safe for her fans. She stated that she worked with the staff at Wembley Stadium as well as British authorities to ensure that nothing happened in London. Swift then addressed her silence, which some fans had criticized her for following the canceled shows.

“Let me be very clear: I am not going to speak about something publicly if I think doing so might provoke those who would want to harm the fans who come to my shows,” she wrote. “In cases like this one, ‘silence’ is actually showing restraint, and waiting to express yourself at a time when it’s right to. My priority was finishing our European tour safely, and it is with great relief that I can say we did that.”

Swift now has a break until October, when she picks the tour back up in Miami. Don’t think that means she’s going to take the time to decompress and disappear, though. It’s almost football season, after all.